The France-based 3D printing service bureau Sculpteo certainly has their wits about them when it comes to the latest in 3D printing technology. When they’re not busy unveiling invisible 3D printing material and shedding light on Carbon 3D’s materials, Sculpteo’s blog is sharing an immense amount of information and advice with the 3D printing community. Their ongoing “State of 3D Printing” industry report has given us an inside look at every facet of the 3D printing market, while other blog posts aim to bestow upon their readers the knowledge needed to utilize additive manufacturing to its fullest potential.
Sculpteo’s latest bout of wisdom focuses on 3D printing in a frugal way, providing customers with tips to make their printing services more affordable and efficient. The 3D printing service bureau has included five unique features into their platform that support the objective of reducing printing costs. The first feature mentioned is their hollowing tool, which is engineered to help customers rid their design of any unneeded filling. By hollowing out the 3D model with Sculpteo’s specialized tool, the amount of material is reduced, which reduces the price of the print and increases the completion time. The hollowing tool also provides a price estimate using an algorithm crafted by the Sculpteo team. Additionally, it’s vital when printing with Sculpteo and other 3D printing service providers to leave a hole in the part design, allowing dust to be removed from the finished print.
The Batch Control tool
Other cost saving features offered by Sculpteo include the Batch Control tool, which works to optimize the space and time of printing, which in turn decreases the final price of your series. Obviously, this is a cost reduction technique for those wishing to print more than 20 units of their design in the same material. Sculpteo also offers customers access to economic production mode, which allows those printing under 20 units in their plastic materials to save by selecting a more lax delivery option. By opting to receive your 3D print just a week later, Sculpteo claims that customers will save up to 30% on their prints. On the contrary, those wishing to expedite their order can splurge a bit with the express production mode, delivering the part within 48 hours.
The two final features that promote cost reduction come in the form of two different Sculpteo programs, the Loyalty Program and the Student Reduction program. The Loyalty Program is based on the frequency and the number of orders made by a customer, which leads to financially advantageous discounts for both ordering and shipping. For instance, a customer who makes three orders with Sculpteo within 100 days will receive free shipping, while another who orders 15 times within a year will receive 16% off of their purchases.
The Student Reduction Program
Finally, the Student Reduction Program, which was specifically created for (you guessed it) students. With this “special regime for students,” Sculpteo hopes to encourage higher education students to utilize 3D printing technology for their course projects. Simply e-mail Sculpteo with your university e-mail address to verify you’re a student, and the 3D printing service bureau will offer up to a 20% discount on each order. Although the discount can be obtained after the first order, the student will have to resend their student ID each time they make a new purchase.
With helpful blog posts such as these to keep their customers informed on how to optimize their Sculpteo experience, the French company may be hinting that success goes hand-in-hand with customer satisfaction. By handing out free tips to their community about how to save money on their printing services, Sculpteo is showing that they’re out for more than just a quick buck. Discuss in the Tips to Save on 3D Printing forum over at 3DPB.com.
